Jury Convicts Thompson In Massive Drug Scheme

Raymond ``Little Ray`` Thompson, whose fleet of luxury yachts brought an estimated 2 million pounds of marijuana into Fort Lauderdale between 1979 and 1981, was convicted on Wednesday on 18 federal counts.

The array of crimes the jury found Thompson, 57, guilty of committing include racketeering, marijuana importation, tax evasion and directing a continuing criminal enterprise in violation of the drug kingpin statute.

The jury`s verdict did not seem to rattle Thompson, who reputedly resorted to murder to keep order in the ranks of his $700 million smuggling empire.

The verdict, which acquitted Thompson on one racketeering count, means that the judge must sentence the 56-year-old Hallandale resident to at least 10 years in prison and may impose a life term.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Sept. 15 before U.S. District Judge Lenore Carrero Nesbitt in the same Miami courtroom where the month-long trial was held.

In addition, the jury decided that Thompson must forfeit two homes in Fort Lauderdale and Hallandale, two four-unit apartment buildings on Hendricks Isle, his interest in what formerly was known as the Amity Yacht Center in Fort Lauderdale and a Bahamian corporation.

Government prosecutor J. Brian McCormick sought forfeiture of those assets, which are worth at least $4 million, because he contended that Thompson bought them with drug profits.

Even defense lawyer Roy Black did not dispute that the Amity Yacht Center should be forfeited.

Witnesses testified that Thompson only bought the marina to have a place to off-load the yachts and to hide the illegal cargo until trucks could haul it away after dark.

Black said his client was not surprised by the jurors` decision, which came on the fourth day of deliberations.

Last month, Thompson was convicted of first-degree murder in Broward Circuit Court for the 1982 execution-style slaying of a business associate. The jury in that case recommended that he be given a life prison sentence.

Thompson has yet to be tried in Broward Circuit Court for the alleged murders of two other associates.

``The irony of this case is that he was acquitted of the murders here and convicted of (one) in Broward County,`` Black said.

The federal jury on Wednesday did find Thompson guilty of participating in a racketeering conspiracy that included acts of murder, as well as smuggling.

But by clearing Thompson of the second racketeering charge, the federal jury apparently stopped short of saying it believed Thompson helped carry out the murders.

The most damning evidence came from some of the 100 people Thompson reportedly employed before he abandoned his South Florida smuggling business to open a country-style restaurant in Central Illinois.

The government brought in people with nicknames like ``Bobby Weasel,`` ``Bobby Vegas`` and ``Bobby Rebel.`` The defense called them liars.

The witnesses testified about piloting the luxury yachts with marijuana loads weighing as much as 80,000 pounds below deck. They said Thompson paid them in cash.

Some witnesses said they watched as Thompson put a gun to the head of a long- time friend he suspected of stealing $600,000 and pulled the trigger. Thompson was convicted in Broward Circuit Court of that slaying.

The government even called one of Thompson`s so-called decoys to testify.

In a theatrical twist to help avoid detection on the smuggling trips, Thompson hired decoys -- elderly people -- to sit on the deck of the yachts and pretend to be fishing or out for a day cruise to the Bahamas.

One time, Thompson reportedly chartered several fishing boats and sent them out for the day. The catch was that the charters were to return to the marina with a smuggling boat coming from the Bahamas in their midst to give it cover.